


Batten Down the Hatches

by harmony88



Series: Forever With You [15]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Minor Violence, Romance, Space Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:41:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28178559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harmony88/pseuds/harmony88
Summary: COMPLETEThe Doctor and Rose are visited by Space Pirates, and the find out there is a lot more at stake in the universe than they thought.A rope was wrapped around the ship, pulling it toward something.“What is that?” Rose asked. The Doctor’s face broke out into a wide grin.“Space Pirates,” he said. “Oh, Rose, it’s about to get very fun.”***Part of the Forever With You series, recommend reading other stories first if you haven't***
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Forever With You [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030980
Comments: 4
Kudos: 128





	Batten Down the Hatches

**Author's Note:**

> Tried to find natural breaks for chapters but this one seemed to work better as one long chapter. I still have plenty of adventures/stories/some fluff pieces/etc. before we get to the end of this series, and thank you all so much for reading and giving feedback. I hope you're enjoying it!

Nightmares, Rose decided, were some of her least favorite things. 

They plagued her dreams every night while she was in the parallel world, and when the Doctor found her again they followed her back, visiting her each night for the first few months aboard the TARDIS. The Doctor would come into her room when he heard her scream, and sit by her bed until she fell asleep, but she always had a feeling he stayed longer, because each time it happened her room smelled of Christmas in the morning. And the chair by her bed was always warm. 

Tonight, when she jolted awake, it was a little different, because his body was pressed against her, his legs were woven between hers, and he was breathing onto her neck, apparently asleep beside her. 

She had heard the gunshot ring in her head again. 

She found herself reaching for the Doctor’s clock, holding it tightly in her hand, and closed her eyes. The coolness of the Gallifreyan metal eased her a little, and she tried to trace the script with her thumb and focus on some of the good things that had come from this day. 

She was learning how to speak his language. She was getting stronger with the Vortex energy. They were together. They were okay. 

He mumbled something in his sleep about her, and she bit her lip as she looked at him, realizing he must be dreaming of the two of them. She felt her heart skip a beat. 

He looked peaceful, a sight she rarely got to see. And she savored it for a moment. 

His journal was resting on the bedside table, and with her tongue pressed to the corner of her mouth, she slid out of bed and wrapped her favorite woven blanket from their loveseat around her shoulders. She tip-toed out of the room, and returned a few minutes later with steaming cups of tea. She placed one on the Doctor’s table as well, just in case he woke up, and she crawled back into bed, holding the warm ceramic between her hands. 

She sat for a bit, slowly drinking, trying not to remember Heather’s tears or the sound of the gun again as it fired into Norm. She knew, in her heart, that the Doctor was right. She did everything she could, but it was hard to let go. 

She needed to focus on the good things. She set the mug down, and reached for the journal. 

She flipped open to the first page, and realized his name was traced in ink on the back of the cover. She ran a finger over it, recognizing the circles and swirls she had started to write on his knee a few weeks ago, and moved her eyes over to the drawing on the first sheet of paper, some sort of small rectangle that was supposed to do something she didn’t understand. She looked at the writing, and tried to figure out what it said. 

She was focused, mesmerized by the fact that the man sleeping beside her wrote this when he was just a child. So human, keeping a journal of your thoughts as a kid, she thought. It was emotional for her in a way it probably shouldn’t be, but she couldn’t help the lump that formed in her throat as she flipped the page, where another drawing of something thin and tall sat, with more words swimming around it. 

The Doctor woke up, but he stayed very still when he realized what she was doing. He watched her and let his respiratory bypass kick in as she was unequivocally taking his breath away with each brush of her fingers on the pages and each curl of her mouth as she tried to sound out the words. 

His wife. His best friend. His impossible human. Perfect, pink, yellow, and gold. He watched as she sipped her tea and furrowed her brow, falling impossibly more in love with her. 

She sounded out the word ‘time’ in perfect Gallifreyan, and his breath hitched. 

She looked over and saw he was awake, and she smiled at him. 

“Hello,” she said quietly. 

“Hello,” he whispered. He sat up a little, and the smell of his favorite tea wafted by him. He looked on the table and saw she had made him a cup, and he shook his head in amazement. “Thank you.” 

“Mhm,” she mumbled, swallowing her own sip. “How’d you sleep?” 

“Okay, I guess,” he said. “You?” 

She just looked at him, and he gave her a soft smile. 

“Yeah,” he said. “Had a feeling.” 

He moved a little closer to her, his arm on the back of the headboard with his cup of tea resting on his knee, and he peered at the journal with her. His eyes shifted from the pages to her. He didn’t help her, he didn’t nudge her mind to feed her hints, he knew she wanted to do this on her own. So he just watched, and smiled when she said things wrong. He stopped breathing when she said things _right._

She flipped the page, and a wide smile spread on her face. 

“What?” he asked. She bit her lip. 

“Is this your first sonic screwdriver?” she asked. 

“Sonic needle, actually,” he mused. “Not the best idea.” 

She started laughing and flipped the page. The Doctor’s face fell and he tensed against her. He had somehow missed that one the last time he looked through this book. “Who’s that?” 

The Doctor stared at the face of the young girl, brown hair in long braids, a headdress draping down her back. He had always been good at drawing faces, and he found himself running his hand along her cheek. He almost told her it was no one. The old him would have. 

“My sister.” 

Rose looked up at him, but he had that deflective face of his etching itself onto his features, so she flipped the page and just tried to focus on the new words she could see. He talked about his brother before, told her loads of stories in fact, but he had never told her about his sister. Not ever. Even his wife, kids, and grandkids he had at least briefly mentioned in passing. 

She can’t even remember the word ‘sister’ leaving his lips. Ever. 

He was lost in thought. His arm had slipped off the back of the bed and he had pulled away a little, and she ended up closing the journal and setting it down on the table, pressing her back into his side as he looked at the ceiling. 

“She died,” he said. “Before she was given her regenerations.” 

Rose felt her heart rate increase, and she tried to soothe it, knowing he’d be able to feel it in his ring. “I thought you were born with those,” she eventually said. He shook his head. 

“Most Gallifreyans are. But we were part human. We had to earn them. Convince Rassilon we were worthy of them,” he whispered, his voice a little bitter. 

“Oh,” Rose said quietly. She had no idea who that was, but she was nervous to ask any questions. She just leaned into him as much as he’d let her, and tried to comfort him as best she could. He swallowed, a pain in his throat suddenly, and Rose began to focus on her wrist, which was starting to scar. He noticed, and shifted so he could take a look as well. 

“Does it hurt?” he asked. She shook her head. 

“Not really,” she said. 

Neither knew what to say, so the Doctor just shifted back onto the mattress and pulled the blanket over himself. Rose grabbed her tea again, and finished it, and then laid down beside the Doctor. “See you in the morning?” 

“Course,” he murmured, and closed his eyes. 

She could tell he was upset, and a few of his old habits were out to play. He was closing himself off a little bit, though he wasn’t trying to leave the room so she supposed that was something. She could push, she could offer reassurance, she could tell him she was sure whatever happened to his sister wasn’t his fault, but she was still tired and sad as well after everything that happened today, and she just didn’t have it in her to pull him out of his mood at the moment. 

She berated herself for being selfish, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. 

She settled on turning off the light and staring at the ceiling. 

The Doctor clenched his jaw when the darkness overtook the room, and looked over at her. He could see in the dim glare from the hallway that her eyes were open, and he sighed. It had been an emotional and extremely difficult 24 hours, and he knew the last thing she needed was for him to go all ‘emotionally distant Time Lord’ on her. 

They had come quite a long way, he thought to himself. The old him, the one who was so afraid to love her would have run away with grief and shut Rose out entirely. But if there was one person he knew he _could_ talk to about his family, it was her. He wanted to. He wanted her to know it all. Eventually. 

It might be a welcome distraction for them both. 

“She was sick,” he whispered. “Nothing anyone could have done. Time Lords found the cure about fifty years after she contracted it. Some strange bacteria that mixed with her bloodstream and attacked every cell in her body.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Rose whispered, reaching for his hand. “What was her name?” 

“Alice,” he said. “That was her Earth name. In Gallifreyan it translated to -”

Rose said it first. He stared at her, his mouth hanging open in utter shock. 

“Was that right?” she asked. He couldn’t speak. He just squeezed her hand and tried to breathe, and Rose scooted closer to him, resting her head on his chest. He was silent for a moment. Then another, and Rose began to fear she made a mistake. “Are you okay?” 

“Y-yeah,” he whispered. “Just...didn’t expect that.” 

He kissed the top of her head, lingering there for a bit, and nudged his mind to hers. Her eyes glowed gold and she let him in, and he sent her a rush of emotions that all wrapped around her at once. There were too many for her to be able to distinguish what she was feeling, but none of it felt sad. And that made her smile. 

“Rose…” he whispered. “I…” 

She tilted her head up to look at him, and he hugged her tighter. 

Words. Use them. Speak. Now. 

_I can’t...possibly explain how much it means to me that you..that…_

_I love you._

She said it as if that explained everything, and it made him choke out a small sob as he laughed. He kissed her, wrapping his hand in her hair and pressing his forehead against hers as he pulled away. 

He was clever, very clever, but Rose had a way of making him forget how to form a sentence. So often he found himself tongue tied around her, and he had no way of explaining what he had been experiencing since he woke up. Since he saw her taking it upon herself to learn to speak his tongue, just because she wanted to. 

To know she loved him just that much...well...

It was more than gratitude, or love, or joy. It felt like she was stitching the broken pieces of his hearts back together, the ones that shattered when he pressed that red button. He knew they would never be completely healed, but he realized that if he allowed them to, they could be patched. 

He didn’t have to remember alone. 

“I love you, so very much,” he said. “She would have loved you, too. You two would absolutely have ganged up on me.” 

She smiled a little as he said this and squeezed his hand again. “I’m sure I would have loved her, too.” 

“Yeah,” he said with a light smile. A moment past, and another. “Do you want to look at the book more? We can, I didn’t mean to make you stop.. I’m so-” 

“Don’t you dare say that word again, Doctor. No more. Our rule, remember?” she said, a little sternly. But she was tracing circles on his chest so he knew she wasn’t actually mad, and he just nodded, sitting up and turning the light back on. 

He grabbed his own book and glasses as Rose studied his notebook. His brain wasn’t registering a single word on his pages. He was watching her out of the corner of his eye, and eventually she blushed. 

“I see you, you know,” she said. He smirked. 

“Can’t help it,” he said, flipping the page of his book as if he had been paying attention. She smiled. 

“You know,” she said, “some of these symbols are hard to read. Your handwriting was absolute rubbish, chicken scratch even, when you were younger, wasn’t it?” 

His eyes widened, but she was flashing him his favorite smile, and he felt a relief wash through him. For the first time since before their trip to the Magician’s Lair, they felt like them. 

He chose not to comment, and returned to his book, but Rose reached over and stole his glasses off of his nose, and he watched as she placed them on hers instead. He felt a slight pulse in his groin, and he clicked his tongue against his teeth. 

“What are you doing?” he asked. She shrugged. 

“Trying to see if these actually help or if you just wear them to drive me crazy,” she murmured. He began to smile, and she closed his journal and placed it back on the bedside table, turning to him. “I was looking, too.” 

“That so?” he said. He simply tossed his book to the side and didn’t pay any attention to the thump it made on the ground. Rose was watching him in that way she does that gets him every time, and he inched closer to her. Their lips met, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to him, kissing her again, and again, and again. 

She had to catch her breath, and he chuckled as she gasped when she did. He just found a new spot on her to kiss, throwing his glasses beside his book, and she bit her lip, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

He pressed her against the mattress, hovering over her, and used his foot to pull her legs apart. He began to rub her thigh with his hand, light strokes that sent a wave of heat through her, and she gripped his hair, causing him to groan. 

He snaked his way under her shirt, rubbing and teasing and lightly pinching her, and she sat up so he could remove it. He lowered her back down, and removed his shirt as well, his breath catching when her hands immediately moved to touch his chest. 

He kissed her, and just as he was about to take the rest of their clothes off and join their minds again, the TARDIS jerked forward, and their heads clashed. 

“Ow, shit, sorry,” the Doctor said, immediately pressing a hand to his forehead. She started to laugh, but the TARDIS jerked again, and their eyes locked for a moment. When she jerked a third time both cups of tea shattered on the ground, and the drawers of the dresser flew open. He pulled her away from the bed and wall just as the picture above them crashed on the spot she had been laying on, and she grabbed the first shirt she could find. He did the same, and they ran to the console room. 

He turned the monitor on, and Rose peered over his shoulder. 

A rope was wrapped around the ship, pulling it toward something. 

“What is that?” Rose asked. The Doctor’s face broke out into a wide grin. 

“Space Pirates,” he said. “Oh, Rose, it’s about to get very fun.” 

She grinned back at him, and he grabbed her hand, running back to the bedroom. He was tearing himself out of his pajamas and throwing on his brown suit, and Rose was putting on yoga pants and a tight tank top and sports bra. The Doctor groaned. 

“That’s not fair,” he said. 

“What?” she asked, quickly tying her shoelaces against the bed. 

“We were just about to...you know...and now you’re wearing...that, and it’s all very very sexy, Rose and I just -” he said, and she moved to him immediately, pressing his body against the doorframe of the closet in a sweeping kiss. 

“Something to look forward to then after all this swashbuckling action we’re about to do,” she said with a wink. He smiled wolfishly at her. 

“Oh, yes,” he said. “You ready to be a pirate, Rose Tyler?” 

She just giggled, and he slid his hand into hers, running back to the console room. They checked the screen again, and watched as the TARDIS was brought onboard the Space Pirate ship. Rose couldn’t see it very well on the screen, but there was a lot of metal, and when she heard a loud thump against the side of the TARDIS she jumped. The Doctor squeezed her hand, watching the screen. 

“Do we go out there?” Rose asked. He shook his head. 

“Not yet. I doubt they realize anyone is onboard. Probably think they found a piece of junk just milling about the Vortex. That’s all Space Pirates are, really, just scavengers. Traders, trying to grab what they can and make a sale to the highest bidder,” he told her. 

The thumping was heard again, and Rose sighed. “She doesn't like that.” 

“She’ll live,” the Doctor said, patting the coral. “I’m trying to see if they’re keeping us on their ship or taking us to a planet.” 

“Are they dangerous?” Rose asked. 

“Some are,” the Doctor mused. “Can’t tell yet.” 

“Well, with our track record, let’s just say yes,” Rose murmured. The Doctor smirked at her. He returned to the screen. Rose watched too, her hand resting on the Doctor’s shoulder, and they finally caught a glimpse of their captors. They looked rather human, Rose thought, and the Doctor’s eyes narrowed. 

“They’re moving to the wheel up there, see?” he asked. Rose looked, and her tongue began to dance in the way it does when she’s thinking. The Doctor wished he was the corner of her mouth, still rather undone from earlier. 

“What’s that one doing?” she asked, and snapped the Doctor’s attention back to the screen. 

“HA! Taking a picture,” he said, a smile plastered on his face. 

“That’s a camera?” Rose asked. The man on the screen was holding something that looked more like an apple in his right hand, and the Doctor just nodded. 

“Could be...23rd, no maybe the 24th century? Planet Tarridea I bet...they have a thing for turning fruit into other things,” he said. 

“So that is an apple then?” she asked. The Doctor looked at her. 

“Of course, Rose, what else would it be?” he asked. She rolled her eyes and looked back at the screen, and saw the man at the wheel turn it once. 

“Hold on tight!” the Doctor shouted, and they were shifting again. 

Rose wrapped her arm around her chair, laughing with the Doctor as they levitated off the ground from how fast the pirate ship was moving, and after a few moments they crashed down, thrown onto their backs like they were all those years ago when he accidentally took them to Queen Victoria. They were both cackling against the grating, and he stood up, holding his hand out to her. She grabbed it and jumped up in one swoop, hugging him. 

“Hey,” she said. “Travelling with you. I love it.” 

“Me too,” he said, and kissed her. 

They made sure they had their sonic screwdrivers, and turned to the screen. The Doctor began to jump as he tilted the screen up and took a closer look. 

“Oh, Rose, Rose, Rose!” he said. 

“What? Where’d they take us?” she asked. He smiled at her. 

“According to the coordinates there,” he began, pointing to the numbers at the top of the screen, “we’re on Earth. Didn’t expect that, honestly, but...we’re in Jamaica. 1754. Port Royal.” 

Rose just stared at him. “Are you telling me the space pirates just turned into ...actual pirates?” 

“Yep!” the Doctor said. “Costume change, Rose Tyler?” 

She didn’t need to be told twice. She ran to the wardrobe. The Doctor watched the screen the whole time, and the men were talking with someone on the port, trying to explain what was happening. He could just dematerialize and take them back...but what’s the fun in that? He hadn’t played with pirates in two hundred years. 

He smiled when he saw the men begin to try to move the TARDIS with their hands, and sighed when he saw them bring a wooden lift over. He felt the TARDIS shift, and he knew she was allowing them to move her off the ship and onto the port. 

“What’d you do that for?” he asked the coral, just as Rose bounded back in the room. The Doctor turned to her. He shouldn’t have told her to change. He somehow wanted her more. 

She was in brown pants and long black boots that went up to her knees. A piece of cloth was tied around her waist and trailed along her left side, wrapped over a blue corset the color of their beloved ship and a white peasant shirt, perfect for the time period they were in. 

Her hoop earrings were in place, as was his clock, and she was braiding her hair. 

“What do you think?” she asked. He just shook his head. 

“Inappropriate things,” he told her with a wink, and now she groaned and moved to kiss him. 

There was a knock at the door, and they separated with a jump. He took her hand. 

“Allons-y, Rose Tyler!” he said, winking at her again, and they opened the door. “Right, hello!” 

He was waving at the three muskets that were pointed at them, and a man in a brown coat moved forward. Rose smiled when she saw his pirate hat. 

“See? Just as we said, sir! The man in the blue box!” one of the Space Pirates said, and the Doctor’s face melted into understanding. 

“Ooooh you were looking for us?” he asked. “Brilliant!” 

“Yer the Doctor?” the man in the hat asked. 

“Indeed. This is my wife, Rose Tyler, pleasure to meet you all,” he said. Rose shook her head. The muskets were still pointed at them, and she pushed herself in front of him.

“Not sure they’re as happy to see us as you are them, Doctor,” she said with a wink. She looked around and felt her Instincts kick in. She smiled at all of them. “Are you, boys?” 

“Hmph,” the man in the hat said, looking Rose up and down. The Doctor felt the urge to protect her find him, perhaps a tad bit of jealousy as well, but she just smiled at the man and stepped off the TARDIS, which she realized was now on the dock. The Doctor followed. 

“Do us a favor, yeah? Don’t touch the ship. She’s irritated at the moment, won’t be good for you,” she said. The space pirates, who had moved to the door, burst out laughing, and Rose looked at them blankly. The TARDIS slammed the door on their hands, and they yelped in pain. “Told you.” 

The TARDIS locked them out. 

The Doctor found her entire act impossible to resist, and he opened his mind to her, sending her a list of things he wanted to do to her at the moment. She bit her lip. 

_Voracious._

That just made it more irresistible, and he grinned at her. 

The man in the hat looked at them suspiciously, but eventually gestured for them to follow him. The Doctor stared at him. 

“Who are you? Why were you looking for us?” he asked, holding Rose’s hand and standing very still. The man sighed. 

“Come on, Doctor, we don’t have time, ye see…” he groaned, but the Doctor started laughing at him. 

“Rose! He just said we don’t have time! _Time!_ Ha!” he bellowed, and Rose just smirked at him. 

“Better to just tell us, otherwise we’re getting back in our ship and going home,” Rose said with a smile. The man stiffened. 

“Can’t have that,” he said. “Come. Drink with me,” he said, moving forward toward a tavern. The Doctor looked at Rose. 

_Instincts?_

_Follow him. He’s hiding something._

They moved, hand in hand, toward the building at the back of the main path they were on. There were a hundred people all around them, not paying any attention to anything but whatever task they were working on. Some were carrying cargo to other ships, some were exchanging vegetables for small gold coins, some were chasing chickens, some were yelling at their kids. Rose noticed a mirage of aromas, some great, some not, as they opened the door and stepped inside. 

It was lively, and quite dank. A new smell hit them both immediately and they turned their noses at it, noticing mildew along the ceiling. The man in the hat moved to an empty table and grabbed a waitress’ arm, saying something to her under his breath. Rose stiffened, not liking the rough handling she witnessed, and moved to sit in front of him, glaring at him. 

“I ordered some grog,” the man said. “On the house.” 

“No thanks,” the Doctor said, tapping his foot against the bottom of the table. “Still don’t know why you want us here.” 

He was still having fun, despite the confusion. Rose was trying to figure the man out, and she wasn’t sure they were here for _good_ reasons. She trailed her eyes along his coat, and then his hat, and realized he wasn’t the Captain or in charge in any way. His clothes were too worn, and he was shifting too much in his seat, almost as if he shouldn’t be sitting with them at all. She noticed he had a scar over his eyebrow as he moved his face in the light. “What happened?” 

He looked at her, and saw her pointing at the scar. He smiled at her, revealing his missing teeth and gold caps. 

“Sword fight. I won,” he said. The Doctor watched him carefully. 

“I’ve been in a few of those, haven’t I, Rose?” he asked. She placed her tongue in the corner of her mouth again, giving him an amused look. She could sense the testosterone and it made her sigh. 

“Yes,” she said. “So have I.” 

Her eyes locked to the man in the hat, who was starting to look at her a little too lustfully for the Doctor’s liking. Rose slid her hand into his under the table. 

_Let me handle this, yeah?_

_What are you doing?_

_Just trust me. I love you._

The Doctor watched as Rose brought her chin into her hand, leaning on the table. “Must have been a tough fight.” 

“Oh, much too gory for a lass like yerself to hear,” he said. Rose smirked. 

“I dunno...I have my own scars,” she hummed. The Doctor tensed beside her. 

_Rose, I don’t like this._

_Just be patient. He’ll break._

The Doctor clenched his jaw as the man rubbed his lips together, looking at Rose. 

“Good girl like ye?” he whistled. The Doctor was seconds away from snapping. Rose smiled slyly at the man in the hat. 

“What’s your name?” she asked. 

“Hagley,” he said, completely forgetting the Doctor was sitting beside her. 

“Strong name. Hagley...How come you’re not in charge?” she asked. Hagley stiffened. 

“Who said I’m not in charge?” he asked. Rose leaned back, shrugging. 

“If you were, you wouldn’t be waiting to tell us why we’re here. I know you would just take us wherever we’re supposed to go, wouldn’t you? I love a good adventure,” she said, batting her lashes a little as she moved back to the table, this time running her hand through the few strands of hair that had escaped her braid. The Doctor saw Hagley squirm, and he sighed. She was right. It was working. 

Her damn Instincts. 

Hagley looked at her lustfully again, which made the Doctor go a little crazy inwardly, and Rose just rested her hand on his thigh. She wasn’t going to do anything or let Hagley do anything, she just needed to whittle down his defenses a little. 

Hagley hummed a little, giving them both a sample of his atrocious breath, and Rose did her best to keep her poker face going. The Doctor knew how good she was at that game by now, and he was trying his hardest to let her Instincts do the talking. 

But watching his wife pretend to flirt with a pirate...not his idea of a good time. 

“I suppose I could show ye a little bit,” Hagley purred, and Rose flashed him a wide grin. 

“I’d love it,” she said. “Now?” 

“Ye haven’t had yer grog,” Hagley said, and Rose looked at the tankard on the table beside her. She grabbed it, swallowing the contents in one sip. She managed not to cough, but the Doctor could feel how much it burned her throat in his mind and he grimaced. He was beyond irritated, especially when he saw the look of desire on Hagley’s face. 

_Oh my god, that’s awful._

_Can you wrap it up, please?_

_Just a few more seconds. Trust me._

Hagley was still staring at her, and Rose brushed her hair out of her eyes again, smiling again. He licked his lips and the Doctor’s hand clenched into a fist. 

“For ye lass, some risks must be worth taking. But ye can’t tell the Captain when he comes back. He’ll have me dancing with Jack Ketch if he knew,” Hagley said. Rose smiled. 

“What does that mean?” Rose asked.

“He’ll hang him,” the Doctor said, his eyes not leaving Hagley’s. “Better hurry, then.” 

Hagley finally tore his eyes away from Rose and looked at the Doctor, nodding. He stood swiftly, and moved toward the door. Rose let out a sigh of relief and squeezed the Doctor’s thigh as she stood as well. He grabbed her arm lightly, and pulled her to him, resting his mouth by her ear. 

“That was awful to watch, just so you know,” he whispered. She pulled back, looking at him with a glimmer in her eye. 

“Oh, Doctor...I wouldn’t make you go through that if I didn’t plan on making it up to you,” she said with a wink, and sauntered away toward Hagley. He watched her, and eventually rolled his eyes and let out a breath. 

Voracious, indeed. 

They moved back toward the space pirate ship that they came in on, and for the first time she walked off the TARDIS, Rose was able to look out at the ocean and the sky. Both were bright blue, and absolutely gorgeous. Fluffy clouds were dancing against the sunlight, and she felt the Doctor lace his fingers into hers and squeezed her hand, following Hagley, who was staggering a little bit. Rose realized that the grog he had during their talk was not his first of the day. 

It hit her suddenly, as they turned the corner back toward the space pirates, that they were surrounded by ships. 

She touched her wrist, once again feeling the scars. 

_Want to leave?_ the Doctor said, realizing the same thing. Rose just shook her head. 

_No. They brought us here for something. We should see what it is._

_Rose…._

_I’m fine, Doctor._

He watched her, and looked back at the ships. None of them were the same type of vessel from Scotland. That had been more like a cruise ship. These were 18th century, mostly wood. But it was all still a little too fresh for both of them, and they both tried to convince themselves it was all a coincidence. The TARDIS was still resting comfortably on the edge of the port, and the Doctor watched as some of the space pirates tried to anchor her to the sea, but she kept throwing them backwards. He smiled a little. 

Rose, lost in thought, didn’t notice when they had reached the ramp up to the space pirate ship, and she almost tripped over it. The Doctor was still holding her hand and held her back from falling, and they looked at each other for a moment before stepping on board. 

_I’ve got you,_ the Doctor told her. She kissed his shoulder. 

They both moved carefully, taking in all the slang being thrown around by the deck crew and looking up at the sails and pillars. Once onboard, it was obvious it was a spaceship and not an 18th century pirate ship. The crow’s nest was a crapshoot of metals and gears, and an entire side of the ship had been replaced by some metal as well. Advanced mapping technology was on the masts and sails when Rose was able to take a closer look. 

Something caught the Doctor’s eye by the helm right next to the wheel, but Hagley was still leading them and it became obvious quickly he was trying to take them inside the ship. He threw a hatch open and gestured, and Rose froze. Her Instincts told her to get a grip and move forward, but the burly man’s face flashed in her mind and she couldn’t stop herself from reaching inside her corset and pulling her sonic screwdriver out from between her breasts. A few minutes ago the Doctor might have made some saucy comment and winked at her, but he was far too concerned about her by this point, and he just squeezed her hand and lowered his head as they walked down the stairs into the hold. 

Rose felt incredibly uneasy, and she bit her lip. The Doctor sent her a wave of love. 

_I won’t let anything happen to you. We can still leave._

_No, it’s okay._

It didn’t look like the hold from the other ship, but when Rose imagined the sound of the gunshot that hit Norm in her head the Doctor moved to wrap his entire arm around her and tried to get her to turn back with him. 

_That’s it. We’re leaving._

_I’m fine._

_You’re not._

She put her block up and he sighed. She was stubborn. He loved that about her, he loved everything about her, but he was worried. She tugged on his arm and kept moving, and he reached for his screwdriver as well, tucking it between his fingers. 

Hagley led them further into the hold, until they reached an office. 

“Stay here,” he said. He slipped inside and returned a moment later, holding a paper. “The Captain wants to be the one to show this to ye, so when he does, act surprised.” 

Rose nodded and took the paper from him. A small ruby colored gem was drawn on the page, and the Doctor felt his hearts drop to his stomach. 

“Not possible,” he whispered, and Rose handed him the paper. She looked at Hagley. 

“Can you give us a minute?” she asked. Hagley shook his head. 

“No, lass, I can’t. Gotta put that paper back soon, Captain will be on board,” he said. “That’s what we’re looking fer. What we need yer help with.” 

He took the paper from the Doctor, whose face was pale. Rose looked at him carefully, and ran a hand over his arm. She turned her back to Hagley and let her eyes glow gold. 

_What is it?_ she asked. The Doctor shook his head. 

_It’s not possible, is what it is. They’re wrong._

“Who’s your Captain?” the Doctor asked. 

“Captain Braxton,” he said. 

“Tell him he’s chasing a dead end. We’re leaving,” the Doctor said, and grabbed Rose’s hand. 

“Doctor, stop,” Rose said, and stood still as he tried to leave the hall. He groaned. 

“Rose, come on,” he said. “You shouldn’t be here right now, and _that_ isn’t anything. Let’s go.” 

“Can you just tell me what it is?” she asked. He shot her a look. 

_Gallifreyan stone. It’s not possible, Rose._

_Doctor, what if it is-_

_It’s not._

Rose stared at him for a moment, but they heard the door close as Hagley came back into the room. He was watching them carefully, his back pressed against the wall. The Doctor grabbed Rose’s hand again and started to move toward the door. 

“Ye really don’t want to do that,” Hagley said. “Trust me. And the Captain won’t let you leave without helping us...Now...lass, how about a kiss for my trouble? I’m risking my life showing ye this before he can.” 

A shadow caught Rose’s eye from behind the door next to the Captain’s office, and her eyes narrowed. The Doctor let out an angry growl, and Rose was so distracted she missed the warning signs, and jumped when the Doctor punched Hagley. It was a combination of a lot of different emotions. He was worried about Rose, irritated they were still here, unraveling a little from the picture of the stone, but it was mostly the fact the Doctor had been wanting to do that since they sat down in that tavern, and Hagley finally went too far. 

Disrespecting Rose. Few things could make him quite that angry that quickly. He threw him to the ground before he grabbed Rose’s arm and led her back out the hatch. 

He put his block up as he held onto her, moving across the ship and toward the ramp. A man was walking up the ramp wearing a large red hat and coat, and Rose instinctively knew it must Captain Braxton. He looked up as he reached the top, his eyes locking with the Doctor’s. A borderline sinister smile curled on his face. 

“Ah, the Doctor is in,” he said, and Rose watched her husband try to move past him, but Braxton stopped him with a sword. Rose pulled the Doctor back as the tip touched his chest. “Going somewhere?” 

“We’re leaving. I don’t want to play games. Let us go,” the Doctor warned. Braxton began to laugh. 

“This is the fearless man from the stars? This coward?” he spat. The Doctor glared at him. 

He was a coward, sometimes. Better to be when it mattered. Now was one of those times. 

“We’re leaving,” the Doctor said. Braxton smiled, but it fell when he looked at Rose. 

“Oh, who is _this?_ ” he whispered, moving toward her. The Doctor stepped between them, Braxton’s sword once again pressing against his chest. They stared at each other, and Braxton eventually lowered the sword, swinging it back into its scabbard. 

“Come,” Braxton said calmly, moving toward the Captain’s cabin. 

“Hagley already showed us. We’re not interested,” the Doctor said. “Bye!” 

He grabbed Rose’s hand, and they bolted down the ramp. They could hear shouting on deck, and Rose looked over her shoulder for a moment as the Doctor kicked dirt up behind them with his shoes, desperate to get away from the pirates. 

A rope wrapped itself around Rose’s waist and she fell to the ground, sliding away from the Doctor. 

“ROSE!” he yelled, and ran toward her. She grabbed the rope and tried to wriggle out of it, but it tugged too quickly for her to be able to make a move or use the Vortex energy to break it, and she landed with a shooting pain in her side back on the pirate ship. 

The Doctor was running up the ramp, sonic screwdriver in hand, absolutely furious. 

“Let her go,” he said. Braxton grabbed Rose, and Hagley opened the hatch, running out with a bloody nose. 

“Captain!” he said, and Braxton looked at him, sneering. 

“You just can’t keep your lily-livered bloody mouth _shut,_ can you Hagley?” the Captain hissed. The Doctor looked at Rose. She was looking up at the mast above her head, and he nudged his mind to hers. 

_Want me to snap it?_

_Yes._

He didn’t hesitate, and he aimed the sonic screwdriver at the mast, which had more metal than wood on it, and it fell quickly. The pirates screamed, and Rose kicked Braxton in the gut. He fell backwards and she ran to the Doctor, who wrapped her in a swift hug and tried to get her to go back down the ramp. 

She didn’t move. 

“Rose, come on!” he shouted. She shook her head. 

“Something is down there,” she said. “We have to go see.” 

“No,” he said. “Let’s go home. I’ll tell you everything. I need you safe.” 

“Doctor,” Rose said. “Please.” 

Her eyes were pleading with him, and he let out a sigh. He really didn’t want to do this. 

“ _Fine_ ” he said, and followed her to the hatch, throwing it open as the pirates scrambled and shouted. The mast had fallen, and it was bringing down the rest of the sails with it. 

They had minutes to escape, and she was taking him the wrong way. 

“Rose, what -” he said, but she held up her hand as they approached the spot she saw the shadow, sending a single blast at the wood and shattering it. She grabbed his hand and ran through. Both of them stopped dead in their tracks. 

Jack Harness was sitting on the ground, a pool of blood at his feet. 

“Jack!” Rose gasped, and ran to the cell. “Oh, my god, what happened?!” 

“Hey, Rosie, was hoping you’d stop by” he whispered. “It doesn’t matter. Can’t die.” 

“You can still feel pain,” she said, horror lined on her face. She saw rope around his hands and feet, and a flash of her own binds from the day before came to her mind, but she pushed them aside and pulled out her sonic screwdriver, quickly undoing them. “We’re getting you out of here.” 

“He gave you a sonic screwdriver? Nice,” Jack said, feigning a smile for her. A deep gash, most likely from a sword, was protruding down his side, and blood was still oozing out. “Promise, it’ll heal itself in an hour. I’ll be fine.” 

“I could do it now,” Rose said. Jack, panting, just stared at her. 

“Thought you couldn’t control it,” he said. Rose bit her lip. 

“I...I learned,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.” 

Jack just shook his head, but he let out a small cry as he tried to shift to stand, and the Doctor was at his side, holding him down. 

“Let her do it,” he said. Jack grimaced, but nodded, and Rose looked at the wound. She moved to take her cloth off from around her waist and handed it to him before she focused her energy, and placed a hand over his side. 

“Bite down on that and keep quiet, yeah? It’s gonna hurt. I’m sorry,” she said, and Jack stuffed the cloth in his mouth as Rose’s energy seeped into his skin. He kicked his legs as the burning sensation took its course, biting down hard, and the Doctor let him squeeze his hand tightly. His eyes watched Rose the entire time. Their minds were open, and he had seen her memory of her handcuffs. His worry was growing by the second, and he also felt rather guilty. 

He would have left Jack behind. Again. Rose gave him a loving look. 

_It’s okay._

_I’m sorry. Your Instincts... You were right. I love you._

_I love you, too._

He finally looked at Jack after the energy cooled and he let out a gasp. 

“Holy...Rosie, that...who are you?” he said with a crooked smile. She just smiled back. 

“Can you walk?” the Doctor asked. Jack tried to stand, and he immediately fell back down. Rose and the Doctor grabbed him, throwing his arms around their shoulders as they moved back toward the door, trying to find an exit that didn’t require them to go back upstairs. 

“Doctor, what about the portholes?” Rose said, noticing them for the first time. He looked at her, peering over her shoulder, and he nodded. 

He held Jack up as Rose moved to the side of the hall, and peered out the small window. “We’re about...I dunno...twenty feet down? How bad will the pressure be?” 

“We can’t,” the Doctor said. “We’ll drown trying to make it through the hole, too much water will pour in.” 

Rose bit her lip. They could still hear screaming up above, and Jack suddenly felt the wobbliness of his legs dissipate and he pulled away from the Doctor, jumping a little to test his strength. 

“I’m back,” he said with a grin. They heard a loud cry and the clanking of swords, and Jack laughed. “What’d you do up there?” 

“Long story,” Rose said. She looked around, trying to find another exit. She looked at the Doctor. “How alike is this ship from yesterday?” 

Jack suddenly had a lot of questions, but he kept quiet as he watched them work. The Doctor shook his head. “Why?” 

“Yesterday, I was by the engines, which seemed to connect to the rest of the ship... I know there aren’t any engines here...at least...there wouldn’t be, if this was a normal 18th century ship. But this -”

“Is a spaceship,” the Doctor said for her, his face breaking out into a wide smile. He moved to her and kissed her, breaking sooner than he wanted to. He cupped his hands to her cheeks. “You’re brilliant.” 

“Aw,” Jack said. “You’re a big softy, aren’t ya, Doc?” 

Rose smiled and the Doctor smiled back, choosing to ignore Jack. 

“Most space pirate ships have some sort of vortex manipulator in them. A large one, so they would need a control room,” the Doctor said, running his hands through his hair. 

“Here,” Jack said, leading them toward the Captain’s office. “Trust me. Some shady stuff has gone down in here.” 

“Jack...how long were you -” Rose began to ask, but he just shook his head. 

“Later, when we’re on the TARDIS, yeah?” he asked. Rose nodded and moved toward the office. The Doctor noticed this door was metal, and he used his screwdriver, popping it open. 

“Yep, there it is,” the Doctor said, moving to the middle of the room. There was a pillar, glowing yellow like the Vortex energy in Rose, pulsing between the floor and the ceiling of the room. A button was right in the middle, and Rose moved to it, mesmerized. 

“How does it work?” she asked. 

“They set the coordinates here,” the Doctor said, pointing to a small series of dials above the button, “then press this and spin the wheel up above. That must be what I saw when we came on board, the top part of the manipulator. When the pulses line up the ship will travel to its destination.” 

“Timey-wimey,” Rose said, grinning at the Doctor. He couldn’t help but smile a little back. She was starting to feel better, and it was easing him as well. He might even dare to say he was having a little fun again. 

_Me too,_ Rose thought. 

Jack was looking at the manipulator, frowning. “Can we use this and hitch a ride out of here?” 

“No, it’s not a jumper, not like the smaller models. This is more like the TARDIS coral, just not nearly as accurate. They’re manufactured, not grown,” the Doctor said, scanning the room for another way out. Rose was looking too, but the image of the gem caught her eye, resting on the table. 

“Doctor, what is this, really?” she asked. He turned to her, and his face hardened. 

“It’s...energy. Time. The High Council had them in their staffs and they used them to oversee and uphold the sanctity of time itself. It’s...trust me, Rose. Every single one of those stones are gone. It’s not here,” he said. 

“Then why are you so worried?” Rose said. He shrugged. 

“I’m not. I just… I haven’t seen those in centuries. It took me by surprise. Upset me a little,” he whispered. 

She could see right through him, and he sighed. He didn’t have to tell her, she knew that this stone was bringing back his actions in the Time War with a fury, and he just wanted to run away. 

_You know why, Rose._

She looked at him, and shook her head. 

_Doctor, just...for a moment...what if this is part of the timeline?_

He didn’t say anything, and Rose smiled at him. 

_Let me rephrase,_ she began. _What if this is a gift..for you? What if we’re supposed to find it?_

He furrowed his brow, and moved to the table, looking at the image. 

_I...I don’t know, Rose._

They heard footsteps above their head, so she quickly folded the paper up and stuffed it in her corset. Jack was tapping on the wall, and he ushered them over with his hands. 

“What is it?” the Doctor asked. Jack stood back, letting the Doctor press his ear to the wall. 

“Does that sound hollow to you?” he asked. The Doctor began to smile, and with a flourish he scanned the wall, but nothing happened. 

Rose was looking behind her, nibbling on her bottom lip. A book on a shelf to the right of the desk caught her eye. It was the only red book in a sea of blue. 

She moved to it, and went to grab it, but it wouldn’t budge. She narrowed her eyes, running her finger along the spine, and she felt a spring inside. She pushed on the book instead, and it scooted in, flush with the wall. 

The spot the Doctor and Jack here standing in front of began to open, and they both looked at her. Jack’s mouth hung open. 

“Damn,” he said. Rose smiled and moved to them, leading them up the stairs with her sonic screwdriver out in front of her. Jack looked at the Doctor. He could tell they were...equals, now. Rose led him as much as he led her. She problem solved as much as he did, and he had a feeling she was continuing to do the impossible. 

It led them through a stairwell, and when they reached the top, the sound of swords and yelling were louder. Rose groaned. 

“We’re gonna have to go out there,” she said. 

“It’s okay,” the Doctor said. “Better with two.” 

“Three,” Jack said. “I’ll watch your backs, too.” 

They nodded at him, and Rose sighed, pressing her sonic against the hatch that sat above her head. The Doctor gave her a boost, and she climbed out, realizing they were at the helm of the ship, and the pirates had apparently decided to take their frustrations out on each other. She helped pull the Doctor up with Jack’s boost, and they both grabbed onto Jack’s arms, pulling him last. They all stood slowly, the wind beginning to whip around them, and watched for a moment. 

There were about six dead bodies sprawled on the deck. Hagley was one of them. Captain Braxton was jumping over one of the fallen masts, yelling at his crew, and Rose realized _he_ was the one doing the killing. He was livid. 

She was horrified, and once again reminded of the day before. 

She could only hear some of the words, but he seemed to be incredibly angry that they let Hagley bring the Doctor and her on board and didn’t convince them to stay before he arrived. 

Rose ran, ignoring her husband calling her name, and she grabbed a sword from the first fallen pirate she passed. 

“Oi, Captain Temper Tantrum!” she shouted, holding the hilt square in her hand as she approached Braxton. He turned at the sound, and smiled at her. 

“Ah, the Doctor’s gal,” he said. “Nice of you to finally join us.” 

She glared at him, and she could hear the scraping of swords as the Doctor and Jack joined her, one on each side. 

“Let’s talk,” the Doctor said. “Stop this and we’ll talk.” 

“ _Now_ you want to talk,” Braxton sneered. “All this bloodshed could have been avoided.” He turned his eyes to Jack. “Ah...they found you.” 

“Captain,” he said. Braxton just stared. 

“Captain,” he replied. Rose adjusted her grip, moving a step closer to Braxton. 

“Is this how a leader leads?” she said angrily. “You’re just...killing people because you can?” 

The sense of Deja vu was growing by the second, and she was so, so mad. 

He began to laugh at her, and aimed his own sword right back at her. “I’m not a leader, wench. I’m a pirate.” 

He moved to strike her, but her sword clanked against his, and the Doctor jumped to the back of Braxton, aiming to hit him. Braxton ducked and slid behind the Doctor, rolling and jumping up swiftly, and ran over to a fallen mast. 

Jack followed him, and their swords hit now. Braxton swung fast as Jack jumped to avoid getting stuck, and Rose ran behind Braxton. The Doctor looked around, trying to see if there was something else he could throw down and block Braxton in, but he heard the clank of metal and he shifted his focus back. Rose was engaged in a full on sword fight, and his moment of panic quickly shifted to awe, and he couldn’t help but just watch. 

There had been one trip about three months after they were reunited where she did a tiny bit of sword fighting, but it had been nothing like this. He knew what this was. 

Instincts. 

He grinned watching her, she was soaring. 

She was moving backward, jumping up onto the side of the ship and back down onto the deck, ducking and clanking against Braxton’s attacks. She blocked every move he made, and Jack moved toward the Doctor. 

“What happened to that 19 year old girl in the union jack shirt?” he whispered to him, also grinning madly at her. The Doctor looked at him. 

“She grew up,” he said, and thought about their time on Atlantis, still smiling. 

“That’s... your wife,” Jack said, shaking his head. 

“I know,” the Doctor said. “I don’t get it either.” They both laughed, and Jack clapped a hand on the Doctor’s shoulder, watching as Rose rolled under Braxton’s feet. 

“Oi! Enjoying the show?!” she shouted at them, and both of their smiles fell immediately. 

“Sorry!!” they said simultaneously, moving to join the sword fight. 

Other pirates seemed to realize their Captain had a new target, and despite their fallen comrades, a few of them joined them on the helm. Jack was fighting one, twisting and turning around him just as the Doctor disarmed another, throwing his sword overboard. The man ran away, shouting at the others to jump and save themselves, apparently realizing they’d lose no matter what. 

Braxton moved to the wheel, and kicked up a board under it, revealing space weapons they had stored from many of their past escapades. Rose’s eyes glowed gold and she shot him backward with a blast, then ran and grabbed the first gun she could find. 

Braxton was groaning, and he opened his eyes as Rose aimed the gun at the wheel and blew it up, followed by the rest of the weapons. He screamed a thousand curse words and grabbed a new sword, and charged at her. 

The Doctor tackled him, rolling around the ground, and Jack disarmed the final pirate who was trying to help. He threw him over the side of the ship, and watched for a second as he swam to the others who had started to gather on the shore. 

Braxton and the Doctor were still struggling as Rose began to blow up more of the advanced features on the ship. Something inside of her told her to do it, and rather than worry about _why_ she just opted to trust her Instincts. They told her to do the same thing with yesterday’s ship, and she turned around as the masts went up in flames, along with the mapping technology, and her eyes gold against the fire. 

It was a sight that made both the Doctor and Braxton stop moving for a moment. The Doctor recovered faster, more used to Rose doing impossible things, and flipped Braxton over, his sword pressed to his chest. 

“The gem. How did you hear about it?” he asked. Braxton, heaving, just stared. The Doctor put a small amount of pressure on the sword, and Braxton held his hands up. 

“Okay, okay,” he said. “We were contracted to find it. We were approached by a small vessel in the Vortex a month ago. Told us we would be paid a hundred thousand credits if we found it.” 

“Where were you supposed to bring it?” the Doctor said. Braxton shook his head. 

“I don’t know. They said they would contact us again when we succeeded,” he told them. 

“The vessel, who was it?” the Doctor said, applying a little more pressure. Braxton’s breathing grew a little shallow, but he locked his eyes with the Doctor. 

“Ridgemont Entities,” he said. 

The Doctor’s brow furrowed, and Rose was at his side a second later. 

“And they sent you here? It's 1754. They’re founded in 2035, how -” Rose began, but Jack cut in. 

“I can explain that. They’re...dabbling in time travel, Rosie. That’s why I was here. Torchwood got wind of their attempts to go into the past. I was tracking their latest reading when I was picked up by this clown,” he said. 

“We thought you were an intruder,” Braxton spat. “And then you wouldn’t shut up.” 

“Quite right,” the Doctor said, glaring at Braxton. Alarms were ringing in his head, and Rose knelt down beside Braxton. 

“Anything else?” she said. “And remember...I did just blow up your ship so I suggest just telling us the truth, yeah?” 

“They said the only one who could lead us to the gem was the man in the blue box. You, Doctor…” he said. “That’s it. We’ve been jumping around the Vortex for a month trying to find you.” 

The Doctor was suddenly very angry and very anxious. He didn’t like any of this, and he glared at Braxton with the full fury of a storm. 

“You’re done, you understand? No more. Nothing with Ridgemont Entities and nothing with this gem. It doesn’t exist. And do you want to know why?” the Doctor asked. When Braxton didn’t say anything, the Doctor pressed his sword a little further, drawing a small amount of blood. His voice was dripping in threats, cold, slow, and very quiet. “Because I destroyed them. The entire planet they come from, I decimated it. When I fought in a war unlike anything your pathetic pirate brain could ever imagine. I won. It’s a dead end, and you’ll end up getting yourself and probably a lot of others killed trying to find it. Ridgemont Entities won’t hesitate. I’ve seen it. So no more.” 

Braxton stared at him, and Rose looked at him. “Say yes, Braxton,” she said. He just nodded, apparently speechless from the gaze of the Oncoming Storm and the realization of what Bad Wolf was capable of, and they could see he was genuinely afraid for the first time since they saw him walking up the ramp. 

“Good,” the Doctor said. His tone shifted immediately, and he pulled the sword back. “Well, then. You’re stuck here now. The manipulator is severed and your tracker…” He grabbed the middle of the wheel that had fallen on the ground, and stomped on it. “...is broken. They won’t be able to find you. Best of luck.” 

Rose realized why her Instincts told her to destroy the ship. To stop Ridgemont Entities from following up on the gem. 

He dropped the sword and felt Rose’s hand find his, and they moved away from Braxton toward the ramp, silently walking away from the ship. Jack was just behind them, and they made their way to the TARDIS, their minds swimming with a cacophony of thoughts. 

_Are you alright?_ the Doctor asked Rose. 

_I don’t know. Are you?_

_No._

She kissed his shoulder, and ran a hand along his arm. 

_If my parents wanted me to have this gem, Rose, why didn’t a projection appear?_

_Maybe one will, maybe we have to find it first._

They were silent for a moment, and Rose squeezed his hand. 

_Do you think it’s real?_ she asked, her eyes locking with his as they opened the door to the TARDIS. He just stared at her, finally admitting the truth to himself. 

_Yes._


End file.
